F
rom Hollywood to Harry
Potter, witches have been
viewed with macabre
fascination for centuries.
But behind the stereotypical
broomstick-flying hag lies
a dark history of trials, persecution and
torture that claimed the lives of hundreds.
As the aftershocks of religious division
extended across Europe, fear spread that
the Day of Judgment was nigh. Catholics
viewed the rift as a sign that the antichrist
was increasing his works in the world,
while Protestants saw the corruption of
the Catholic church as proof that the devil
was near.
Fuelling concerns about the pernicious
influence of magic and the devil was the
revolution of print, which saw an influx of
written texts from the continent, such as the
Malleus Maleficarum (c1486), urging people
to take decisive action in the battle with
witches and magic. It was against this
emotionally charged backdrop that Henry
VIII introduced the first English statutes
addressing witchcraft in 1542, followed by
new, stricter, legislation by Elizabeth I in
1563 and James VI and I in 1604.
No one was safe from an accusation
of witchcraft. However, marginalised
women bore the brunt of the accusations- particularly elderly spinsters, widows, and
those living alone. In fact, 80 per cent of
those tried in Britain were women.
Begging lay at the root of many
allegations, and beggars were often blamed
for misfortunes that occurred after they
were refused help. More often than not,
accusations of witchcraft resulted from
neighbourly disagreements, inextricably
bound to a deep-rooted fear of malevolent
magic and the devil.
As stories of continental trials spread
and new laws filtered down through society,
some took it upon themselves to lead the
witch hunts, gathering evidence before trial
as self-proclaimed ‘witchfinder generals’.
The most notorious of these in England was
a Puritan called Matthew Hopkins who
launched a campaign of terror against
suspected English witches during the 1640s.
These led to some 300 trials and the deaths
of around 100 people in eastern England.
Hopkins was by no means the only witch
detector, but his reputation spread far and
wide and he had a profound impact on
those around him. One source from the
time commented: “It is strange to tell what
superstitious opinions, affections, relations,
are generally risen amongst us, since the
Witchfinders came into the Countrey.”
Although the use of torture to extract a
confession was illegal in England, IrelandCharlotte Hodgman talks to Owen Davies about five
places associated with the witch hunts that saw
hundreds put to death across early modern Britain
THE WAR
ON WITCHES
ALAMY